SWF Looking for CHC

byEmilyonFebruary 14, 2008

What if you were battling cancer but didn’t have health insurance? How far would you go to get it? Like immigrants who marry citizens to get a green card, at least one person is trying the approach of looking for love – and coverage. Both heartbreaking and humorous, this article has the story of a Seattle woman who used her blog to advertise that she was looking for a Canadian man who would marry her and share his government-sponsored health care coverage.

Canada’s health care system, Medicare, is publicly funded and guarantees free access to “medically necessary” care from physicians and hospitals. Around 75% of Canadians also have private insurance to provide more extensive health benefits. While Canada has been criticized for long wait lists for some health services, some analysts argue that this is due to their lack of health spending (half of the US) and is not integral to government-funded care. As for health outcomes, studies comparing the two countries have shown mixed results. This report summarizes the findings.